Belated birthday wishes
by yvj
Summary: Away on a mission Naruto has missed Sakura's birthday. He's missed the fact that when it's her birthday she can love who she wants to


So here is a story I wrote for NaruSaku day on tumblr

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Life was not going as planned for Naruto. Which came as a surprise because after the war things had been going at a steadily content rate for the better part of three years.

The unexpected happened when Sakura returned from an eight month training session at Shikkotsu forest.

That day was the first time in three years that he was completely stunned by the sight of her. His body had indeed come to a complete stop, his breathing, his heart, they had all suspended functions for a fraction of a second.

Sakura had looked exhausted. Her hair was longer and disheveled. Her clothes were grimy and stained. Yet despite all this she may have never been more beautiful than ever before. There was something different about her. She seemed to glow and it suited her.

Sakura having caught him staring blushed and brushed a strand of hair back over her ear. After seeing that Naruto decided it was nigh impossible for someone not to fall in love with Sakura. And for people like him. Foolish people who could fall in love with the same person twice. Foolish people who didn't understand moving on meant moving on for good. That one moment was enough to overwhelm him with dangerous emotion.

At first Naruto considered this reaffirmation of romantic feelings as a temporary stumbling block. He welcomed his colleague back from a long voyage with all the intention in the world of resuming their friendship. Despite his conflicting feelings he assumed status quo would prevail. Status quo unfortunately turned out to be heavily circumstantial. Status quo came easy when they were out with others. But when they were alone things were different. More than once Naruto had to catch himself from leaning over and kissing her. This lacking of self discipline was disturbing enough but it was far from the worst of it. The new wrinkle in their relationship was the now frequent bouts of silence they shared in their private moments. Not awkward silences as one would expect considering his situation. But an odd content silence that put him at immediate ease. The kind of silence that blossomed in an environment where nothing more needed to be said. It was a silence so comforting it made him uncomfortable.

Within a few weeks of Sakura's return Naruto decided that what he needed was some time alone. He needed time away so he could return to his previous state of mind. A state of mind that was not conducive to having his emotions betray him or his friends. He rushed to the Hokage hoping to request a solo mission. To his luck there was one waiting for him in the faraway Land of Iron. The samurai had requested him specifically.

Naruto seized upon the opportunity.

It was as he was leaving that things became further complicated. While saying farewell Sakura placed a hand on his arm and told him in a tone just above a whisper.

"Don't take too long okay? I don't want to have come and find you."

From an outsider's perspective that would seem like an innocuous moments. For Naruto it was anything but. Sakura walked away from him leaving the air in her wake so hot it might as well have been on fire. This was something new between them. Something confusing and unidentifiable. Yet he had felt it strongly. He felt it when she had touched his arm. Felt it in the way her eyes had softened and her voice quivered while saying goodbye. He had taken three or four steps out of the village when he felt the powerful urge to turn back and sort things out. Had that all happened in his head? Was he delusional? Had Sakura felt that as well? These were the questions that raced through his head. He held firm though and promised himself that he would work things out when he soon returned to Konoha.

Of course his mission in the Land of Iron ended up lasting, to his annoyance, a little over two months. Consequently he ended up missing Sakura's birthday.

Even with a month or two to himself Naruto still hadn't come to any sort of firm decision by the time he stepped back into the village. But he figured that he would be able to piece things out once he had a nice bowl of ramen in him and an afternoon's rest in his own bed.

So it was as much a surprise to him as it was to Sakura when he found himself in her living room.

He found her sitting on the tatami mat that covered the entire floor. She sat holding a scroll in her hands and the curious smile of an explorer on her face.

He looked down at her taking a moment to study her profile. Sensing him she looked up. He dropped his duffel bag to the ground. She put her scroll to the side.

"I'm home" he said.

Then he thought about what he said.

"I mean I'm back, back to the village, which is my home."

He paused, just for a moment, to admire how badly things had started off.

Red-faced he said, "You shouldn't leave your door unlocked. Someone might just walk in."

"You mean like you just did?' Sakura replied

"Yeah, I mean no..."

She smiled, "In civilized villages we knock on people's doors before coming in."

"Thieves don't knock." Naruto countered.

"Well I'm sure if there was a thief as strong as you I doubt a locked door would be enough to keep him or her out. And it would have to be a thief as strong as you for me to worried."

Naruto glanced back at the direction of the door. "I didn't mean ...Its not about weak or strong. Like some kids might come in here and do childish things.

"Oh some kids" Sakura stood up, "You sound like my dad. But his concern involved perverts."

"He's right about perverts."

Naruto glanced to the side where some moving boxes where lined up against the nearest window.

"Right" Sakura smiled. "The perverts could sneak into a girl's house and stare at her while she is reading."

"Or they might turn to the left and..."

Sakura followed Naruto's gaze. The tops of one of the moving boxes was open and its contents visible wandering eye. Bras and panties, one or two of which to Naruto's eyes seemed to be of the lacy variety.

"Gah!" Was the sound that escaped Sakura's mouth as she raced to the box.

She slapped the top of the box closed, lifted it and rushed out of the room through a sliding door.

Naruto took that moment to look around. The first thing Sakura had done once returning her training was set up the groundwork for moving out of her parent's home. The plan had been to move into a new place soon after her birthday. This was the new place. Naruto found himself saddened by the fact that he missed so much while away. Sakura's birthday, the start of her new independent life. He should have been there to experience that with her.

Moments later Sakura announced her entrance into the room by clearing he throat.

"I didn't see anything," he lied.

She sighed, "The price of independence I guess. The temptation to just leave things around is really strong."

"Lets start over" Naruto said with a smile.

She grinned. "Welcome home Naruto. Or welcome back to the village, which is your home."

They smiled at each other. And there it was again that damned comforting silence

Panicking Naruto broke it as soon as he could. "I'm sorry about missing your birthday. I would have been here sooner But the mission..."

He trailed off.

Sakura shrugged, "You only missed it by about five days. Ino would call that fashionably late."

She smiled and opened her arms wide. "Well what do you think?"

Naruto glanced around. It was clear that she hadn't completely moved in yet. It was only the living room but the only things in his immediate line of sight were the walls and moving boxes. Still the windows were quite large and an ample amount of sunlight poured into the house.

"It's warm" He said.

Though he might have been talking about her smile just as much as much as the house.

She nodded approvingly. "I like warm."

Naruto scratched at his cheek. 'Some paintings or something on the walls wouldn't hurt."

"I wanted to paint the room first before hanging up anything. Actually, Ino and some of the others coming over today to help me paint."

"Oh. Well I think it might be cool not to have anything on the walls, or maybe have no furniture in the house at all and live like a monk y'know?"

Sakura snorted. "I enjoy anko dumplings way too much to even consider the idea of an ascetic lifestyle."

Naruto tilted his head. "Ascetic?"

"Its uh a word used to describe the practice of severe self-discipline. And also abstention from all forms of indulgence."

Naruto chuckled. "That's why I like being your friend Sakura.-chan. It's like hanging out with a dictionary."

Sakura shook her head. "I am a not sure what's odder, the fact that you consider that a compliment or the fact that I am flattered."

They studied each other for a few moments, neither of the speaking. The silence had returned and it was just so easy to get used.

"So how does you feel about being twenty?" Naruto asked, now thankful he had thought of something to say.

"I guess I feel lucky.."

He nodded. "Yeah I can understand that. Does getting older scare you at all?"

'I'd be lying if I didn't say a part of me wasn't a little worried about getting older. Eventually there will come a day when my big ole forehead will start drooping."

Naruto considered this. "you know I never thought your forehead was all that big."

"All that big?" Sakura inquired.

"Its the right kind of big" he added.

She rolled her eyes and then said. "I missed you."

The sincerity of it surprised Naruto. And he allowed a third period of silence to envelop them.

He broke that with an abrupt slap of his own forehead. "Oh yeah I got you a gift!"

Naruto hurried away from Sakura, got his bag, dug into it and took out a package. He held it behind his back as he returned and handed it to in a way that reminded Sakura of a young genin handing over a report to his instructor.

She stared down at the box covered in dark green wrapping paper and then looked up at him.

"Naruto you shouldn't have."

A part of Naruto thought he shouldn't have either. Or at least he should not have gotten her this specific gift. His conscience screamed of inappropriate behavior. And he now regretted having stumbled upon the store of a famous jeweler the evening before his departure from The Land of Iron. Instead of continuing his last minute sight-seeing a sudden mad impulse dragged Naruto into the store. He told the fame jeweler "give me something for a girl that says we're just friends, but we're really, really good friends."

The clerk nodding sagely inquired, "what color are her eyes?"

At first caught off guard by the of request Naruto conjured up Sakura's features and described her eyes as best he could. The jeweler nodded once again before marching off to the back of the store. On his return he presented Naruto with the choice of three necklaces. Overwhelmed by indecision Naruto hesitated. This prompted the jeweler to instruct Naruto to "follow his heart." After another moment's hesitation Naruto pointed to the pair that drew his eyes.

The jeweler who approved said, "Very good sir now when she puts it on be sure to tell her that she's the most beautiful woman you've ever seen."

Tearing off the paper, Sakura found herself holding a dark green cardboard box. Lifting the lid she saw that the box held a jewelry case made of green velvet. Once she was holding the case she glanced up at Naruto again.. "You shouldn't-

Sakura stopped herself when she opened the case and her eyes fell upon a necklace with tiny pearls and one simple green gem in the center. Most casual observers would have noted it as a modest piece of jewelry. But there was an elegance to it simplicity. Sakura picked the necklace up and held it up so that it caught the light. The gem dazzled before them when struck by the rays of the sun. It sparkled just like a star in the night sky.

The surprise and pleasure on her face melted away any anxiety Naruto had over offering her this gift. He felt himself grin, delighted by her speechlessness.

Finally she said softly. "Can you um..?"

"Oh...right" Naruto said snapping out of his reverie.

He took the necklace and watched as Sakura turned her back to him. He put the necklace around her neck, and fastened it

Turning, Sakura gazed up at him her eyes moistened. "How does it look?"

The jeweler's words immediately came his mind. The jeweler must have must have been psychic Naruto mused. He had predicted with eerie accuracy that Sakura would indeed appear to him as the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. He wanted to tell her that while knowing absolutely that he shouldn't.

"Its looks really nice on you. Really nice" He said.

A blush blossomed on her face

"Thank you, thank you for this lovely gift. Naruto"

With that said for a long moment Naruto was flustered into immobility. This time though he had company. The blush on Sakura's failed to subside. And she toyed with the gem on her necklace with her fingers as they actively avoided each other's gaze.

"Ah I almost forgot I saved you some cake!"

Without looking at him Sakura rushed out of the living room through the nearest sliding shoji door. Into what N assumed had to be the kitchen. With Sakura gone, Naruto began to pace around nervously. He checked his breath before removing his jacket and then pulling it back on. It was when he was using his hands as a comb, and running it through his hair that Naruto realized he was acting crazy.

He felt a strong sense of personal disappointment creep through his body. How could he be Hokage when he couldn't even master his own emotions? As a man striving to be Hokage it was completely embarrassing that he was being thrown off balance by emotions. Not only was he disrespecting Sakura with his actions but he was punishing himself. There wasn't any energy between them, there wasn't any heat in the air around them. Everything was happening in his head, Sakura was in love with Sasuke. He was going to be happy for her and support her in her pursuit of happiness.

Mere Seconds after Naruto had resolved himself to move on. Sakura returned holding a side plate with a generous helping of chocolate cake on top it.

"Here" She handed him the cake. "My mom made it."

Naruto was not hungry but Sakura's mother was no slouch with eggs and flour. With a single bite Naruto's entire mouth exploded with decadent pleasure. He inhaled the cake polishing it off in a matter of moments.

Finished Naruto looked at Sakura hopefully.

She smiled playfully. "Yes I saved you another piece."

When she handed him the second plate, their fingers brushed. There was an initial tingle at the warmth of her skin. But Naruto suppressed the stirring inside him by sheer force of willpower. They were just friends and they were okay with that.

Sakura looked down for a moment as her demeanor changed suddenly to a serious one. She sat down on the tatami, Naruto lowered himself down after her.

She took a deep breath as Naruto continued snacking.

"May I ask you a personal question Naruto?" She said.

Naruto grunted in acquiescence between pieces of cake.

"You and Hinata were getting pretty close before I left for the Shikkotsu Forrest. I half expected that you two would be engaged, by the time I got back-"

There were few statements surprising enough, to take Naruto's attention away from his pieces of cake. That was one of them.

"-But when I got back you two had broken up. If you don't mind me asking...what happened?"

Naruto drew in a sharp breath. "I liked her. She loved me. I didn't know if I could feel about her the same way she felt about me."

He paused

"It's not fair to be with someone and gamble that one day you might feel for them as much as they feel for you."

He stopped there. He had no need or any inclination to explain further.

"Are you seeing anyone now Naruto?'

Naruto returned to his cake. "If I was you'd already know about it Sakura-chan"

"Naruto, do you think that we could ever be more than just friends?"

'What! ... " Naruto gasped as he choked on a large lump of cake in his mouth.

Sakura looked to the side averting her gaze. "I want to be more than just friends with you Naruto, I would like to date you."

Needless to say Naruto was shocked. "Stop joking around."

Sakura turned to him and he knew at the very least she wasn't teasing him.

"You decided to wait for Sasuke." Naruto said his tone adamant

"I decided not to wait."

"You are in love with him."

Sakura considered this. "A good medical ninja needs to be smart. A great medical nin needs a calm and balanced mind. Because a hurried and agitated mind is a weak one that makes fatal mistakes. A once in a generation medical ninja needs wisdom. Wisdom is your perspective on life, your sense of balance, your understanding of how various parts and principles apply and relate to each other."

She smiled at Naruto.

"That is what Tsunade told me after the war and why she advised me to go to Shikkotsu forest with her. Much of my training there consisted with me getting lost. I had my sense of direction confused, my chakra disturbed, one of more of my five sense overwhelmed or taken from me. I got lost everyday in that forest and as tried to find my way back to my camp I had to time to think about certain things. There were no wars to worry over, my friends weren't in any danger or in pain. I had all the time in the world to think about me and when I thought about me I thought about Sasuke. I thought about how amazing it was that I got him to finally acknowledge me. How great I felt that he finally saw me as someone worth coming back too. I wanted him back so much because I loved how he made me feel about myself. I wanted to get his love to make me feel better about myself. The more I thought about my feelings the less it sounded like love."

Naruto placed his cake to the side. "Sakura you can't just...

He paused what couldn't she do? Fall out of love? He did it, or at least he thought he had done it. It was confusing he was proof that you could or you couldn't will yourself out of love. He had yet to decide on which side he fell o.

"You can't distance yourself from love that easily Sakura-chan."

She shook her head. "I never said it was easy. What I am saying is when I went to the forest I loved Sasuke because I needed him to be happy. When I left the forest I realized i still cared for him but I didn't need him. I didn't change my mind about him as much as I gained some perspective on myself and my relationship with Sasuke."

"I don't think this is the kind of decision that you should make lightly.."

Sakura stared at him with a sad smile on her face. "You think I am lying again?'"

"Sakura..

"Do you think I am lying? Am I lying Naruto?"

Naruto slapped the floor the ground with his hand. A tired frustration swelled within him. "I don't...I don't understand how and why now...?"

Sakura licked her lips. "Did you know why I went to the Shikkotsu Forrest Naruto?"

"You wanted to become stronger?"

"Yes, but why did I want to become stronger?"

"Because Tsunade advised you too?"

Sakura shook her head. "It's because I wanted to support you. I almost watched you die during the war and I...will not allow you to die before you become Hokage Naruto. I want to see the world that you'll create and I want to see the you, who will be created by that world."

Naruto sucked in a breath and blinked a few extra blinks.

"I'm not asking for you to answer me right away Naruto. I don't want to push, because I know we have a complicated history. I just want you to at least think about it."

Push? Think about it? It was Naruto's own laughter that shocked him out of his astonishment. There was one thing that he knew about himself for sure. If there was something he desired, as long as there was a sliver of a chance for him to get it, he'd take on any risk involved . Even if his chances of success were no bigger than the dust off a fly's wings he would take the risk. He was a man who would risk destroying himself in the pursuit of his desires. The only thing that kept Naruto from chasing a goal was for him to either convince himself what he desired was impossible to get. Or if he felt that the desire itself was ethically questionable. In the case of pursuing Sakura Naruto had convinced himself of both. Yet now Sakura sat before him offering a chance. What could he do but laugh at the absurdity of life?

He laughed heartily, throwing his head back like a madman.

For all intents and purposes Naruto's laughter came from a place of unreasoned joy. Sakura who did not have access to Naruto's inner turmoil, could not know of the emotional dam that had burst within him. So she took his laughter the wrongest possible way imaginable.

The veins in her forehead knotted en masse when she took her first step towards him. Naruto consumed by the maddening joy of a desert wanderer who spots an oasis hadn't noticed her approaching. That is until her fist collided with his jaw bringing his laughing fit to an abrupt ending.

"I was trying to share my feelings with you and you are laughing at me?!"

Her punch sent him sliding across the living floor like a pebble skipped across the surface of a lake. All things considered it was a gentle tap as it was only strong enough to knock him halfway across the room. Still Naruto continued to roll along the floor until his back hit the wall. Experience had dictated he put some extra distance between them.

"Sakura-chan wait.." Naruto said sitting up. "Before you kill me I want to tell you something."

Sakura's eyes had grown white with fury grew as she stalked towards him

"Its something I should have told you a long time ago."

She paused color returning to her features.

"Please sit down." Naruto said.

She studied his face and then sat down without another. The room grew quieter than it had ever been.

"Sakura, you know I love you, I always will. But you might not know why. Yeah you're beautiful and smart and courageous. And just thinking about you makes me want to smile all day long-

Sakura blushed and glanced down at her hands.

Naruto drew in a long deep breath. "-But that's just a piece of it. I never had the chance to know of the love of a mother or the annoying love of a sister. So you were the first and most important girl-woman in my life. Back then when you scolded me or when you got mad at me, it wasn't because I was the demon child, it was because I was just an annoying boy. You treated me like you would any other boy, like a person, and you have no idea what that meant to me. So many others would just ignore me. I understood that other people can get in your way. I understood being mad at people getting in your way. I didn't understand why a little boy needed to be ignored-"

Naruto sniffed then he waved his hand in the air dismissively.

"-Anyway you saw me as Naruto, even when you learned about the Kyuubi, even after I hurt you on the Tenchi bridge, even when I became the hero of the village. You always saw me for me. I am grateful for that and that's why your happiness means everything to me. I will love you Sakura, as a teammate, as a friend, as a sister.. No matter what role you take in my life, I know that I will always want you to be a part of it. So please understand that you will always have a place in my heart. You're my family even if your love belongs to another.

Naruto waited a beat or two. Then a broad grin spread across his face.

"But Sakura if you feel like giving me your heart. I will take it because I love you. And the first thing I am going to do is cross this room and hold you and kiss you and squeeze you and love you with every cell in my whole body."

Visibly embarrassed Sakura's averted her gaze. "That sounds great but I've tried to...You don't believe me."

"I want to believe. So please push Sakura-chan"

She nodded. "Naruto we've known each other a long time. I just think it might be a good idea, the two of us. Just try it for a while, see how it worked. I had thought that's what you wanted too."

Naruto pulled himself up to his feet, "You know I want you Sakura, Tell me that you want me too."

Sakura swallowed a mouthful of air. "You've...already given me the best of you now I want the rest of you."

Naruto edged closer to her watching her eyes widen.

"Keep pushing," He said.

Sakura straightened her back and lifted her chin in the air. "Because with you I think I could bring out all the love that I have."

"I'm almost there."

Sakura looked him in the eyes "And I may have fallen for you unexpectedly, but I plan to be with you forever."

"One more push" He whispered.

Naruto knelt beside her. His hand slid up to cup her face and she turned her cheek nuzzling deeply into his hand. She closed her eyes and gently kissed his palm.

"I need you Naruto because I love you."

He took her face between both hands holding her tenderly as if she might crumble beneath his touch. He kissed her forehead. Then he kissed her eyelids, her cheeks. Then her kissed her slowly tasting and trying to store every second into memory. He wanted to savor this moment and make sure neither of them ever forgot it. They kissed like this for some time. Then, still holding his face in her hands, he looked at her.

"Happy birthday beautiful."

Sakura began to cry.

"Naruto, if you break my heart I will kill you."

He grinned at her. "I already know that."

"I swear if you I'll-I'll dissect your heart."

"I won't, you know I won't."

"I know" She sniffed as he began to kiss each tear that fell.

Naruto pulled back once more. This time he noticed a faint smudge of chocolate on her bottom.

He laughed and pointed his thumb at her lips. "I think I smeared some of my chocolate lipstick on you."

Instinctively Sakura licked her lips and her tongue lightly brushed the tip of his thumb. Naruto gasped eyes as he became distinctly aware that their bodies were only separated by an inch or two of heated air. Beads of perspiration appeared on his forehead and he felt his palms hands moisten. It was suddenly so hot in the room now that he wondered if his blood would boil.

He leaned his face into hers, their noses and foreheads touching.

"Please, please say you feel it too."

Sakura nodded. Her voice came out sultry. "I'm willing to burn if you are."

"Now that's a housewarming gift," Another voice in the room stated.

Naruto and Sakura turned their head in unison to see Ino beaming at them.

"Not like your crappy flowers and vase Shikamaru."

Shikamaru brushed past Ino carrying a bucket of paint in one hand and a paint brush in the other. "Anyway...you guys seem busy so we're just going to start working on that wall."

Chouji trailed behind his best friend. "Is anyone going to finish that cake?"

Sai appeared by Sakura's side. "As much as I am pleased by your coupling. I must recommend that you do not become the kind of couple that is always kissing in public. From what I can gather nobody likes those kind of couples."

Naruto glanced around incredulous. About a half a dozen of their friends had materialized in Sakura's living room and were getting ready to start painting.

"Guys can you uh give us a minute?" Naruto asked.

"Don't worry about us." Ino said as she placed a bucket and brush down beside Naruto and Sakura.

"We'll handle the living room. You two can work the bedroom." She said suggestively.

She then glanced at Sakura, then the leftover cake on the floor, then back at Sakura.

"You've got a little something on your forehead." Ino chuckled before walking away.

Naruto turned to Sakura.

"Sakura-chan..."

"I know" She sighed her face bright red. "I'll be locking my door from now on."

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Thanks for reading. Tell me what you think if you've got the time. It was a little rushed and simple but I like it. I had bigger plans for the story but maybe the shorter version has more impact.


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